Hirohide Hamashima has a feeling that today's European Grand Prix may be a little dull. Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development - now that's a job title - even thinks that the race on the streets of Valencia might be as boring as the season opener in Bahrain. "It will be a little bit like that. I am very sorry," he said and he should know as it is his company's product that is key to producing on-track excitement in the absence of a sudden - and extremely unlikely - cloudburst on the Spanish coast.

A fortnight ago in Montreal Bridgestone's super-soft tyre degraded to the point of being almost undriveable after a mere handful of laps and had drivers diving for the pits as performance fell rapidly away compared to those on the not so swift, but a lot more durable, medium. It made for one of the most exciting races of recent seasons.

The track surface in Valencia is rather more kind to the tyres so the disparity in performance between Bridgestone's two offerings - and drivers must use both in the race - will not be nearly so apparent. That lack of variety will make overtaking manoeuvres around this tight street circuit as rare as cellulite in the Formula One paddock.

This is Bridgestone's final season as F1's official tyre. The Japanese company entered grand prix racing in 1997, has been sole supplier since the 2008 season and has done a remarkable job for all the teams. The responsibility for making the racing entertaining should not fall on the tyre supplier but, in this age of exhaust-blown double diffusers, f-ducts and other gizmos dreamed up in the labs of aerodynamicists, that is what is happening.

From next season Pirelli will take over from Bridgestone and the Italian firm has already stated that they will adopt the same blueprint in making six compounds available; four dry, an intermediate and a wet. We need not worry about the rain tyres, as when the track surface is treacherous the entertainment looks after itself. What is needed is for the two "dry" compounds that Pirelli will take to each meeting to be as far apart in performance and durability as possible. If Pirelli take the view that they are in the entertainment business and not simply trying to flog tyres to motorists whose vehicles have less than 10% of the performance of an F1 car then motor racing fans could be spared any more gimmicks from the powers that be.

Already under discussion is a trick rear wing that has a slot that will open up automatically to reduce drag on a car following another closely to facilitate overtaking on the straights. Drivers will already have the Kers "push to pass" technology back on their cars in 2011 and the double diffuser, that spills out a huge wash of turbulence, making life grim for pursuers, will be banned.

The vast majority of races this season have been thrilling because during various stages the cars have had differing levels of performance. The skill in handling a grand prix car as it evolves through a race is one of the greatest challenges a driver faces. The best in the world do not need any more on-board aids to help them, they need the challenge of keeping up to speed as performance levels change.

The Canadian Grand Prix proved that good racing tyres are the antidote to the wizardry of the wind tunnel. Let's hope Pirelli were paying attention.

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